Deadly force: Smoke rises from NATO supply trucks following an attack by militants in the Torkham area near the Pakistan--Afghanistan border in Jalalabad province east of Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday. Photo: Rahmat Gul

"There were a series of explosions that occurred in the vicinity of a forward operating base in Nangarhar province," an ISAF spokesman said.

The military later described it as an "attempted but unsuccessful co-ordinated attack by enemy forces".

"There were three enemy forces killed during the attack. We can confirm that no ISAF personnel were killed as a result of this incident," it said in a statement.

"Today morning, Taliban insurgents attacked and burned supply trucks delivering supplies to NATO which belonged to foreign forces near the US base in Torkham," he said.

"Later, three armed suicide bombers started gunfire and clashes with Afghan forces and US forces, and they were killed after three hours of fighting.

"At the moment, the stand-off is over, and the situation is under control."

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban which is leading a 12-year insurgency against Western troops and the Afghan government, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to the media.

The Taliban have launched a spate of attacks across the country in recent days, with scores killed in suicide bombings, ambushes and rocket attacks. They also killed five aid workers in the west.